Postseason Preview: Class 2A, Substate 4
The favorite: Camanche dominated the first and only meeting against West Branch this year, winning 81-57 before the holiday break, so they have to be considered the favorite here. A rematch would also certainly be closer, but the Indians…
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The favorite: Camanche dominated the first and only meeting against West Branch this year, winning 81-57 before the holiday break, so they have to be considered the favorite here. A rematch would also certainly be closer, but the Indians have the firepower to get through this district. They’re led by Cameron Soenksen (19.7, 47 3PM), a highly athletic guard who can either get red hot and shoot this group to a 2A championship, or go ice cold and potentially shoot them out of a game. Caleb Delzell (14.5) is the team’s best college prospect, a 6-6 lead guard who stuffs the stat sheet and leads the team in rebounding and assists, while Carson Seeser (10.9) gives them another shooting threat. Four other players average between 4.0 and 7.3 points a game, giving Camanche one of the deepest rosters in 2A.
The biggest threat: Another volatile scorer lurks on the other side of the bracket with Beau Cornwell (19.6) and West Branch. Like Soenksen, Cornwell is capable of getting scorching hot and carrying this group, or shooting them out of games. The Bears are more than just Cornwell this year, however, with Ted Bridges (11.6), Brady Lukavsky (9.9), Thomas Gould (7.7) and Zach Thompson (6.1) proving to be solid role options. West Branch isn’t 24 points worse than Camanche, like they were in the first meeting, and a rematch may come down to which guard gets it going.
The dark horse: Wapello made an impressive run to State last year, entering Des Moines undefeated. They took a step back following the graduation of star guard Trenton Massner, among others, but the Indians still have the biggest mismatch of any team in this district with big man Keaton Mitchell (20.6). A long, athletic big man, Mitchell is headed to play Division II ball at Truman State, and nobody in this district can match up with his skill and athleticism on either end of the floor. If he’s able to control the game and control the glass, Wapello could pull off a few upsets and win the district.
Players to watch
2020 Cameron Soenksen, Camanche
2020 Caleb Delzell, Camanche
2019 Carson Seeser, Camanche
2019 Beau Cornwell, West Branch
2019 Ted Bridges, West Branch
2019 Keaton Mitchell, Wapello
2019 Jared Townsend, Wilton
2020 Eric Valdez, Columbus Junction
The favorite: Iowa City Regina has to be pretty happy with the draw they got here, as the Regals are far and away the best team in the district. Masen Miller (20.3) has had a breakout junior year, and Regina has been even better this year than they were last year, despite standout big man Even Brauns transferring to Iowa City West. Miller has knocked down 79 3s at a 45.1% clip and paces an offense that can be explosive. Bryce Barnett (12.1, 43.3 3P%) is another dangerous shooter, while Ashton Cook (13.3) is an athletic combo forward who can score inside and out. Regina swept Mid-Prairie, who may actually be the second best team in the district despite drawing the 4th seed, and has to be considered the heavy favorite to win this group.
The biggest threat: Mid-Prairie is the 4th seed in the district, but may actually present the biggest threat to Regina, as the Hawks are familiar with the Regals, and played them to an 8-point game a few weeks ago. Cale Robertson (13.7, 44.1 3P%) and Dominic Pickard (7.8, 46.4%) are dangerous 3-point shooters, while Tom Butters (13.4, 12.2 rebounds) can control the paint and the glass. M-P has played the toughest schedule in the district, according to BC Moore’s power rating system, and they aren’t going to back down from the Regals.
The dark horse: The top defensive team in the district is Mediapolis, as the Bulldogs are allowing just 45.2 points a game, which ranks 9th in 2A. Ben Wolgemuth (20.6) is an efficient scoring forward, while Nick Ensminger (13.4) and Drew Schroeder (10.8) are both capable shooters. They’ll have a tricky semifinal matchup against Danville, an explosive offensive team, but they should be able to score on Danville’s defense easier than Danville can score on them.
Players to watch
2020 Masen Miller, Regina
2019 Bryce Barnett, Regina
2021 Ashton Cook, Regina
2019 Tom Butters, Mid-Prairie
2019 Cale Robertson, Mid-Prairie
2019 Max Wilcox, Danville
2019 Ben Wolgemuth, Mediapolis
2019 Nick Ensminger, Mediapolis
SUBSTATE FINAL PREDICTION
Camanche vs. Iowa City Regina
An interesting game between a pair of River Valley Conference foes, these teams met early this season, with the Indians winning 60-53 on December 7. Regina hasn’t lost a game since December 21, and behind a big game from Masen Miller, the Regals punch their State ticket in a classic.